Mission: Smile
by Casey Wolfe
Summary: The LT has been going through some heavy stuff lately.  Brad and Walt just want to see him smile again. *Mission Accomplished, Part 1* [Slash]


**A/N: There are no spoilers for the series, so you don't really need to know it. Still, I highly recommend this awesome mini-series. Wonderful friendship, humor, and a slashers DREAM, haha.**

**So this was inspired while watching episode four. And this is what happened…**

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"You're just too cute, you know that?" Brad mused. He was digging his sleeping hole, pausing to meet Walt's gaze where he sat next to him, cleaning his SAW.

The kid gave him his playful grin, shaking his head in amusement. Something caught his eye though and he frowned. Brad followed his gaze to where the LT was walking past with Wynne. The team leader's face fell as well, noting the worry lines on Nate's face. It had been a long time since anyone had seen the man smile.

"Miss 'im," Walt mentioned and Brad turned back to him.

"I know. Me too." Brad sighed and returned to digging.

"Want 'im to smile again," Walt pressed on, forgetting about his gun for the time being.

"Yeah..." Brad sighed in frustration, stopping again to look into Walt's concerned baby blues. "But there's nothing that we can do if he doesn't let us in." There was no arguing with that one and so Walt shrugged.

They worked in companionable silence for a bit before the younger asked, "Still on the same watch rotation tonight?"

"Far as I know."

Walt made an affirmative humming sound and dropped into the hole Brad was almost done with. He grabbed the other shovel and started to widen it a bit more. Brad raised a questioning brow but all he got was a soft smile and a _you'll see_ expression.

* * *

That night, Nate was heading back to his own site, passing by where Brad and his team slept, when something reached up and grabbed his leg, yanking him down. He was thrown off balance, falling with a startled yelp. He grunted as he landed on the hard ground, finding himself pinned between Brad and Walt.

"What the hell?" Nate growled, trying to get up, only to be held fast by the two other men. "Brad!" he snapped, eyes narrowed at his team leader.

"Oh no," the other answered, defiance crossing his features and mischief in his eyes. "Don't you go all LT on us. None of that here."

Nate grit his teeth stubbornly, jutting his chin out. "_Brad_," he warned, "this isn't the time. We need to _sleep_."

"And that's just what we're gonna do," Brad answered reasonably, reaching out to undo the helmet strap while Walt swiped away his rifle with ease. Nate started to argue, only to be quieted by the gentle press of lips against his. Brad was smiling softly when he pulled away. "Spend the night with us," he insisted.

"I can't," Nate answered, though it sounded weak even to his own ears.

"Yes you can," Walt spoke up in his ear, already helping their LT with removing extra gear and loosening the rest to get comfortable. Usually he and Brad attempted to sleep in the same hole, only digging one just slightly bigger so it wouldn't look suspicious to their fellow Marines and then squeezing in side by side. Walt had insisted earlier on digging it bigger to allow for Nate to join them.

"Was the kid's idea," Brad mentioned, knowing that would break the rest of Nate's resolve. They were both wrapped around Walt's finger and the little shit knew it too. Normally Brad would have scolded him for trying to schmooze his own way but it was working to his advantage too so he let it go- this time. "Come on… You really wanna go back to your own grave? Alone?"

Nate let out a puff of air through his nose in frustration before collapsing back to the ground. "I can't fight you both," he muttered, however there was no heat behind it.

As each soldier curled up next to him, Walt mused, "Smart decision LT."

"Yeah, yeah." He ruffled Walt's hair, smiling slightly. It caused both of his lovers to grin brightly back and then look at each other in success.

"Mission accomplished," Walt announced, trading a fist bump with Brad.

"And what mission would that be?" Nate mused, raising a brow as his grin grew even more.

"To see you smile again," Brad admitted and he watched Nate's face melt into a mixture of emotion.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I've probably been a real downer lately, huh?"

Brad shook his head. "Not your fault. You've got a lot on your plate right now. We just want you to know that we're here for you."

"Whenever you need us," Walt added, nuzzling against Nate's cheek and causing another smile to emerge.

"Thank you," he whispered to them, genuinely touched by their concern and support.

"Now," Brad spoke, giving them each a quick kiss, "Sleep."

As Walt was giving Nate a kiss of his own, Ray spoke up from his watch position on the hood of the Humvee. "Thank God! Anymore lovie dovie talk I thought I would hurl."

Nate rolled his eyes and Walt chuckled. Brad only smirked at his best friend, shaking his head as he called out, "Goodnight Ray."

"Yeah, yeah… good-fucking-night."

The three lovers were already curling around each other. It was cramped in their sleeping hole but none of them would complain. It was uncertain when they would get another chance to be all together like this and so they would take advantage. Nothing ahead was bound to be easy but at least they would have each other- and remember the reasons they had to smile.

/End

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**A/N: Check out the next fic in the series, "Mission: Snatch and Grab."**


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